Born Chester Arthur Burnett, Wolf changed his name soon after learning to play harmonica from Sonny Boy Williamson and developing his guttural "howlin'" style under the tutelage of country blues man Charley Patton. Born on a plantation in Sunflower County, Mississippi, Howlin' Wolf brought the delta blues from the South into the limelight of Chicago and London. Although armed with a harmonica and acoustic guitar, Wolf's primary instrument was his voice. Many of his recordings laid the foundation for the golden age of rock and roll.